Ahli Hadith Seek Passage Of Its University Bill

KL Report
SRINAGAR

Around 60 Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith members led by their party president Maulana Ghulam Rasool Malik were taken into preventive custody by police in Lal Chowk when they were on way to Legislative Assembly to press their demand for the sanction of Transworld Muslim University in Kashmir. They threatened a larger protest if the bill for setting up the university was not passed this session.

“Today’s rally is symbolic,” a spokesman of the party said. “If it does not jolt the deaf ears of those at the helm of affairs, next phase would be that our boys and girls from our schools would come on the streets which would be followed by managements of 800 mosques.”

They threatened party’s 15 lakh members will also come on the roads if the present session of the assembly does not pass the bill.

Jamiat accused state congress president Prof Saif ul din Soz for opposing the establishment of the university by advising his lawmakers in the Legislative Council to oppose the bill. Party’s lawmakers in the assembly had supported the bill and helped government managed its passage, earlier.

Hundrerds of Jamiat members led by their president and General Secretary Abdul Rahman Bhat appeared in the press colony carrying placards and banners seeking setting up of the University. The protest coincided with the beginning of the weeklong session of the twin houses on Monday.

Police, however, did not allow the protesters to move beyond press colony by arresting 60 of them including Malik. Dozens of protesters even volunteer themselves for the arrest.

Earlier Jamiat General Secretary appealed Kashmir lawmakers to show their commitment for the education of the youth by helping establish the university. He said they should follow the example of their Jammu counterparts who worked tirelessly to establish Matta Vishnav Devi University.

The bill for the Jamiat’s Transworld Muslim University was passed by the legislative assembly but was blocked in the Legislative Council. Apart from Congress, NC’s Sheikh Ghulam Rasool is also accused of helping block the bill. It was later transferred to select committee and later to joint select committee.  Soz has been consistently saying that academic institutions, especially University cannot be set up on sectarian basis, something that Jamiat is challenging.

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